The Imps were dumped out of the Carling Cup on Tuesday evening with Championship outfit Leeds United romping to a 4-0 first round success at Elland Road.

City were up against it from as early as 90 seconds when Leeds skipper Jonathan Howson headed home a Sanchez Watt cross and five minutes later it was 2-0 when Watt teed up Luciano Becchio who netted from a similar distance six yards out.

It was all Leeds in the opening period and after Joe Anyon had kept the Imps in it with a succession of impressive saves, the inevitable third arrived on the half-hour mark when Lloyd Sam ghosted in to plant a free header across Anyon and into the bottom corner of the net.

A relatively quiet second period followed with the only addition to the scoreline coming from the penalty spot in the 71st; Neil Kilkenny slotting home after Paul Green was adjudged to have felled Sam in the area.

Gavin McCallum for Drewe Broughton was the only change from Saturday's defeat at Rotherham United for this Carling Cup first round tie against Leeds United at Elland Road.

Whilst Adam Watts shrugged off the knock to his ankle which forced him off at Rotherham, assistant boss Ian Pearce was ruled out having taken a kick to his foot in the match at the Don Valley Stadium. Midfielder Shane Clarke was his replacement on the bench.

City were up against a Leeds side who also suffered an opening day League defeat, in their case a 2-1 home reverse to Derby County, and their manager Simon Grayson made two changes to the side which slipped up against the Rams.

With the Imps looking resplendant in their new all-red third strip, referee Paul Tierney led the teams out on to what looked to be an excellent playing surface. Once the pre-match formalities had taken place, City kicked off defending the end behind which sat their travelling fans.

It was the United contingent, however, who were on the feet and celebrating as with just over a minute played, home skipper Jonathan Howson headed his side in front.

The goal came when an effort from Luciano Becchio was blocked by Adam Watts only for the ball to run to Sanchez Watt on the left of the box. When he chipped in to the danger area Howson was there to plant the ball past Joe Anyon from six yards out.

City looked for an immediate response with Mustapha Carayol forcing Kasper Schmeichel to save low to his right a minute after the restart whilst at the other end Becchio flicked a Lloyd Sam centre a couple of feet wide of the post.

It wasn't long, however, before the hosts were on the attack again and when another blocked clearance fell to Watt, he spotted the run of Becchio who had the easy task of beating Anyon from close range. Two goals in the opening seven minutes meant that the Imps were well and truly up against it.

Leeds were content to keep the ball during the following five minutes, although the Imps did enjoy a brief period of possesion in the middle third as they looked for a way to unlock the Whites' defence.

In the 19th minute, Leeds came close to adding a third but Anyon was quick off his line to deny Watt before Becchio headed a cross wide whilst a couple of minutes later, Watt was superbly denied again by Anyon following a swift break forward from the men in white.

Bradley Johnson was the next to have a pop at goal with Anyon watching his long-range drive fly a foot over his bar and in the 27th minute Howson fired wide after good work from Lloyd Sam down the right saw him get the better of Joe Anderson before laying the ball into the path of the United skipper.

Three minutes later a deflected Johnson shot led to Leeds' third corner and after this was only half cleared by the Imps' defence, Paul Connolly lifted the ball back into the area and ghosting in at the far post to plant a free header past Anyon and into the net was Sam.

Another fine save by Anyon ensured it remained at 3-0 when he tipped behind a curling Johnson effort as the hosts piled on yet more pressure and after City dealt with the danger, a deflected Albert Jarrett cross led to a corner which was duly cleared at the near post. When Scott Kerr pumped the ball back in, Swaibu was left grounded, holding his right leg but after lengthy treatment from Michael Wait, the City centre-back was able to return before play resumed with a bounce-up.

A couple of minutes before two incident-free added minutes a surging run forward from Carayol saw him force a corner but Jarrett wasted the opportunity by sending the flag-kick straight out of play.

HT: LEEDS 3 IMPS 0

Whilst Leeds emerged unchanged, a switch at the break for the Imps saw Lincoln-born Jamie Clapham replace Joe Anderson at left-back for his City debut against one of his former sides.

Unlike the beginning of the match, the second half started pretty quietly with neither goalkeeper troubled, although Swaibu was twice forced to clear from Johnson as the midfielder looked to get his name on the scoresheet. At the other end Paul Green swung in a centre but Josh O'Keefe was flagged offside.

After Carayol blazed a shot well over the target following good work by Jarrett, a double Leeds change saw Aidan White and Mike Grella replace Bradley Johnson and Luciano Becchio whilst a second City substitution saw Delroy Facey come on for Gavin McCallum up front.

Another break forward from Carayol saw him force Schmeichel to save low to his right before Jarrett was harshly adjudged to have tugged the shirt of his marker as he looked to sprint past left-back Federico Bessone.

In the 71st minute the home side had the ideal chance to make it 4-0 when Sam went down somewhat easily under Green's challenge just inside the box. Referee Tierney had no hesitation in pointing to the spot with Neil Kilkenny cooly slotting past Anyon.

Before play restarted Andy Hutchinson was given a run out in place of Scott Kerr with Andrew Hughes replacing Jonathan Howson at the same time.

A Carayol cross saw City win their third corner of the evening but Schmeichel punched Jarrett's centre clear before Carayol volleyed over whilst a surging run from Facey saw him shrug off the challenges only for his cross to fly past everyone in the six-yard box.

At the other end Sam fired a cross straight at Clapham only for referee Tierney to penalise the City man for hand ball; the ball being placed just outside the box before City cleared Kilkenny's chipped set-piece.

Another Leeds corner followed as the clock ticked into its 85th minute whilst a foul by Swaibu on Watt a couple of minutes later gave the hosts a chance from a set-piece 25 yards out. Sam chipped the ball in and after the Imps had difficulty in clearing their lines, the United man fired over.

In the closing stages of three added minutes, a City corner was punched away by Schmeichel and as the hosts went on the counter-attack, substitute Hughes dragged a shot a foot wide for the last action of the match.

FT: LEEDS 4 IMPS 0

LINCOLN CITY
1 Joe ANYON
2 Paul GREEN
4 Adam WATTS
5 Moses SWAIBU
3 Joe ANDERSON
25 Cian HUGHTON
11 Scott KERR
14 Josh O'KEEFE
7 Mustapha CARAYOL
17 Albert JARRETT
9 Gavin McCALLUM

subs
19 Jamie CLAPHAM (for ANDERSON h/t)
18 Delroy FACEY (for McCALLUM 62)
22 Andy HUTCHINSON (for KERR 72)
8 Clark KELTIE
10 Drewe BROUGHTON
16 Shane CLARKE
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

LEEDS UNITED
1 Kasper SCHMEICHEL
2 Paul CONNOLLY
4 Alex BRUCE
5 Neill COLLINS
8 Neil KILKENNY
10 Luciano BECCHIO
11 Lloyd SAM
14 Jonathan HOWSON
16 Bradley JOHNSON
18 Sanchez WATT
21 Federico BESSONE

subs
32 Aidan WHITE (for JOHNSON 61)
13 Mike GRELLA (for BECCHIO 61)
22 Andrew HUGHES (for HOWSON 72)
6 Richard NAYLOR
26 Leigh BROMBY
12 Shane HIGGS

GOALS: HOWSON (2), BECCHIO (7), SAM (30), KILKENNY (72 pen)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Paul Tierney
ASSISTANTS: David Benton & Matthew Dicicco
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Iain Siddall

ATTENDANCE: 12,602 (1,553 City supporters)